Joe Brewer - Independent Researcher (original) (raw)
Joe has a unique background in physics, math, philosophy, atmospheric science, complexity research, and cognitive linguistics. More than a decade ago, he left the academy to trail blaze a path for other research practitioners to follow. Awakened to the threat of human-induced climate disruption while pursuing a Ph.D. in atmospheric science, he switched fields and began to work with scholars in the behavioral and cognitive sciences with the hope of helping create large-scale behavior change at the level of global civilization.
He was an active member of the Center for Complex Systems Research at the University of Illinois studying pattern formation in physical and social systems before joining renowned linguist, George Lakoff, at the Rockridge Institute in Berkeley to analyze political discourse and reveal the structures of meaning in human language.
When Rockridge closed its doors in 2008, Joe launched his first social enterprise—a research consultancy called Cognitive Policy Works whose mission was to apply insights from cognitive science to social change efforts. It was here that he built up a global network of collaborators in the nonprofit, governmental, and social impact business domains.
In 2012 he joined forces with Lazlo Karafiath to lay foundations for the new field of culture design, culminating in the birth of Culture2 Inc. Along the way, he has contributed to the formation of the International Centre for Earth Simulation—a globally-focused research foundation dedicated to the integration of more than 100 sciences that study the changing Earth.
In 2015, he joined the Evolution Institute as a Culture Designer-in-Residence to help birth a professional society for the study of cultural evolution. As the co-investigator on a planning grant from the John Templeton Foundation, his role is to serve as the dedicated staff person who oversees the culture design of organizational structure, development of websites and digital communication platforms, analysis of grand challenges for the field, formation of collaborative research projects, and the establishment of new institutional activities that accelerate the growth and maturity of cultural evolutionary studies.
He has spoken at many global conferences on the science of social change and the human dimensions of planetary sustainability. And has given workshops on three continents about the workings of the human mind and the strategic tools for designing and enacting positive change in the world.
Specialties: Research Design, Writing, Speaking, Idea Integration, Communicating Complex Ideas, Inspiring Others! ;-)
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Papers by Joe Brewer
Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, 2020
Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits r... more Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.
Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, 2020
Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits r... more Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.
Sustainability Science, 2020
In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation sys... more In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation systems (IS) dedicated to transformations towards sustainability. To this end, our paper draws primarily but not exclusively on the leverage points concept, which was originally proposed by Donella H. Meadows and recently refined by sustainability scientists. More precisely, we flesh out four general propositions about the systems entrepreneurial process that serve as a starting point for illuminating how systems entrepreneurs can intervene at deep leverage points to introduce a dedication to sustainability in IS. The paper touches the important issues of directionality, formal institutions, as well as information flows and network structure that have received insufficient attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming at transformations towards sustainability (e.g., funders and other support organizations). Taken as a whole, the paper serves as a conceptual basis for fu...
Sustainability Science, 2020
In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation sys... more In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation systems (IS) dedicated to transformations towards sustainability. To this end, our paper draws primarily but not exclusively on the leverage points concept, which was originally proposed by Donella H. Meadows and recently refined by sustainability scientists. More precisely, we flesh out four general propositions about the systems entrepreneurial process that serve as a starting point for illuminating how systems entrepreneurs can intervene at deep leverage points to introduce a dedication to sustainability in IS. The paper touches the important issues of directionality, formal institutions, as well as information flows and network structure that have received insufficient attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming at transformations towards sustainability (e.g., funders and other support organizations). Taken as a whole, the paper serves as a conceptual basis for fu...
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2017
The founding members of the Cultural Evolution Society were surveyed to identify the major scient... more The founding members of the Cultural Evolution Society were surveyed to identify the major scientific questions and 'grand challenges' currently facing the study of cultural evolution. We present the results and discuss the implications for an emergent synthesis in the study of culture based on Darwinian principles.
Cultural heritage and climate adaptation: a cultural evolutionary perspective for the Anthropocene
World Archaeology
Earth Systems, Environment and Society: A New Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Major at the University of Illinois
Journal of Geoscience Education, 2006
Sustainability Science, 2020
In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation sys... more In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation systems (IS) dedicated to transformations towards sustainability. To this end, our paper draws primarily but not exclusively on the leverage points concept, which was originally proposed by Donella H. Meadows and recently refined by sustainability scientists. More precisely, we flesh out four general propositions about the systems entrepreneurial process that serve as a starting point for illuminating how systems entrepreneurs can intervene at deep leverage points to introduce a dedication to sustainability in IS. The paper touches the important issues of directionality, formal institutions, as well as information flows and network structure that have received insufficient attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming at transformations towards sustainability (e.g., funders and other support organizations). Taken as a whole, the paper serves as a conceptual basis for further theoretical and empirical work on systems entrepreneurs and dedicated IS. It should be read as a reminder that the fundamentally uncertain processes of systemic change call for collaborative efforts that transcend mental and organizational boundaries.
Atmospheric Research, 2006
Four fractal dimension estimation algorithms are applied to three different simulated fractal fun... more Four fractal dimension estimation algorithms are applied to three different simulated fractal functions over the entire range of fractal dimensions to demonstrate the effect of resolution, fractal type, and algorithm choice on the estimation of fractal dimension. Box counting, horizontal structuring element, variation, and power spectrum algorithms are reviewed and applied to 1-D Takagi, Weierstrass-Mandelbrot, and fractional Brownian motion curves to show that none of them perform consistently with each other or accurately when the correct fractal dimension is known. A better understanding of their limitations is achieved through a sliding window analysis, a procedure that calculates local slopes for linear curve fits. A synergistic approach involving knowledge of algorithm limitations is suggested to make progress toward more reliable estimates of fractal dimension. Implications for cloud studies are considered in lieu of these results. Scale breaks in clouds are investigated to see how well each estimator detects changes from one scaling regime to another. Results are presented to illustrate the importance of correcting errors in the fractal dimension estimation process when modeling cloud radiance fields.
The ad hoc steering committee for the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution met in College ... more The ad hoc steering committee for the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution met in College Park, Maryland on December 20th through 22nd of 2015. This report is a summary of discussion topics and key decisions made in that highly productive meeting. We explored a number of issues sufficiently well to begin creating a road map for birthing the Society throughout 2016—culminating with the first annual conference, to be held in 2017, with an inaugural leadership team who will officially take office at that time.
An ad hoc steering committee initiated steps to form the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolut... more An ad hoc steering committee initiated steps to form the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution (SSCE) in the summer of 2015. As part of the inaugural proceedings, a survey of SSCE members was conducted to identify a suite of "grand challenge" problems of broad scientific and social interest that can drive cutting-edge research and practice within the field of cultural evolutionary studies for future decades.
Over the course of several weeks, a total of 236 SSCE members from around the world completed an online questionnaire in which they could nominate up to ten such challenges, providing a brief description and rationale for each. Additionally, SSCE members were also asked to indicate their level of understanding and mode of training in core domains (cultural studies and evolutionary theory), how they see their current work fitting into the wider world of cultural evolutionary studies, and how they see themselves contributing to the grand challenges facing the society.
The responses to the initial grand challenges survey are summarized in this report.
Joe Brewer is a complexity researcher and evangelist for the field of culture design. He is cultu... more Joe Brewer is a complexity researcher and evangelist for the field of culture design. He is culture editor for is view of life magazine, co-founder and editor for Evonomics magazine, and research director for eRules.org He lives in Seattle and travels the world helping humanity make the transition to sustainability.
Books by Joe Brewer
by Carol Sanford, Helene Finidori, Ashwani Vasishth, Rasigan Maharajh, Joe Brewer, Simone Cicero, Jack Harich, Michelle Holliday, Alexander Laszlo, Denis Postle, lilian ricaud, William Smith, Laurence J Victor, and christiaan weiler
Guest edited by Helene Finidori, a series of essays on the theory and practice of collective inte... more Guest edited by Helene Finidori, a series of essays on the theory and practice of collective intelligence and transformative action, from a systemic dynamic perspective.
How and where does systemic change manifest? How does it unfold? What are the leverage points, the forces and dynamics at play? What are the conditions for its empowerment and enablement? How do agency and structure come into the picture? We would like to look at the subject from various perspectives and disciplines, in research and praxis, exploring the visible and the invisible, space and time, unity and diversity, level and scale, movement and rhythm.
Available on print on demand.
Drafts by Joe Brewer
We are now ready to begin the process of electing the first officers for the Cultural Evolution S... more We are now ready to begin the process of electing the first officers for the Cultural Evolution Society. The procedures outlined in this report were developed by the Elections Committee with input from an Election Advisory Group comprised of our members. This has been an intentional process of collaboration—keeping the founding membership updated throughout and inviting feedback along the way.
Creating the society in this way gives us the opportunity to apply key insights from our field to the work at hand. Throughout the early stages, it became clear that a diversity mandate1 would be needed to specify the structural features for us to achieve our mission and advance cultural evolutionary studies together. The procedures outlined here are meant to address this mandate in an equitable and transparent manner.
Our hope is that the outcome of this election will seed a “cultural genome” with the social norms and values that our members have requested of us.
Last fall, a volunteer-based Bylaws Committee grappled with the need for diversity representation... more Last fall, a volunteer-based Bylaws Committee grappled with the need for diversity representation and a broadly inclusive mission for this society. This spring an Elections Committee and Election Advisory Group came together to set the policy framework for electing our inaugural leadership, again stressing the vital importance of diversity for the success of this collective endeavor.
A message has come through loud and clear—the Cultural Evolution Society needs to be a role model for the future of scientific societies in its policies and practices. This will require active introspection and intentional design throughout its birthing process.
Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, 2020
Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits r... more Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.
Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, 2020
Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits r... more Distribution électronique Cairn.info pour De Boeck Supérieur. © De Boeck Supérieur. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.
Sustainability Science, 2020
In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation sys... more In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation systems (IS) dedicated to transformations towards sustainability. To this end, our paper draws primarily but not exclusively on the leverage points concept, which was originally proposed by Donella H. Meadows and recently refined by sustainability scientists. More precisely, we flesh out four general propositions about the systems entrepreneurial process that serve as a starting point for illuminating how systems entrepreneurs can intervene at deep leverage points to introduce a dedication to sustainability in IS. The paper touches the important issues of directionality, formal institutions, as well as information flows and network structure that have received insufficient attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming at transformations towards sustainability (e.g., funders and other support organizations). Taken as a whole, the paper serves as a conceptual basis for fu...
Sustainability Science, 2020
In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation sys... more In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation systems (IS) dedicated to transformations towards sustainability. To this end, our paper draws primarily but not exclusively on the leverage points concept, which was originally proposed by Donella H. Meadows and recently refined by sustainability scientists. More precisely, we flesh out four general propositions about the systems entrepreneurial process that serve as a starting point for illuminating how systems entrepreneurs can intervene at deep leverage points to introduce a dedication to sustainability in IS. The paper touches the important issues of directionality, formal institutions, as well as information flows and network structure that have received insufficient attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming at transformations towards sustainability (e.g., funders and other support organizations). Taken as a whole, the paper serves as a conceptual basis for fu...
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2017
The founding members of the Cultural Evolution Society were surveyed to identify the major scient... more The founding members of the Cultural Evolution Society were surveyed to identify the major scientific questions and 'grand challenges' currently facing the study of cultural evolution. We present the results and discuss the implications for an emergent synthesis in the study of culture based on Darwinian principles.
Cultural heritage and climate adaptation: a cultural evolutionary perspective for the Anthropocene
World Archaeology
Earth Systems, Environment and Society: A New Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Major at the University of Illinois
Journal of Geoscience Education, 2006
Sustainability Science, 2020
In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation sys... more In this paper, we explore the notion of systems entrepreneurship in the context of innovation systems (IS) dedicated to transformations towards sustainability. To this end, our paper draws primarily but not exclusively on the leverage points concept, which was originally proposed by Donella H. Meadows and recently refined by sustainability scientists. More precisely, we flesh out four general propositions about the systems entrepreneurial process that serve as a starting point for illuminating how systems entrepreneurs can intervene at deep leverage points to introduce a dedication to sustainability in IS. The paper touches the important issues of directionality, formal institutions, as well as information flows and network structure that have received insufficient attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming at transformations towards sustainability (e.g., funders and other support organizations). Taken as a whole, the paper serves as a conceptual basis for further theoretical and empirical work on systems entrepreneurs and dedicated IS. It should be read as a reminder that the fundamentally uncertain processes of systemic change call for collaborative efforts that transcend mental and organizational boundaries.
Atmospheric Research, 2006
Four fractal dimension estimation algorithms are applied to three different simulated fractal fun... more Four fractal dimension estimation algorithms are applied to three different simulated fractal functions over the entire range of fractal dimensions to demonstrate the effect of resolution, fractal type, and algorithm choice on the estimation of fractal dimension. Box counting, horizontal structuring element, variation, and power spectrum algorithms are reviewed and applied to 1-D Takagi, Weierstrass-Mandelbrot, and fractional Brownian motion curves to show that none of them perform consistently with each other or accurately when the correct fractal dimension is known. A better understanding of their limitations is achieved through a sliding window analysis, a procedure that calculates local slopes for linear curve fits. A synergistic approach involving knowledge of algorithm limitations is suggested to make progress toward more reliable estimates of fractal dimension. Implications for cloud studies are considered in lieu of these results. Scale breaks in clouds are investigated to see how well each estimator detects changes from one scaling regime to another. Results are presented to illustrate the importance of correcting errors in the fractal dimension estimation process when modeling cloud radiance fields.
The ad hoc steering committee for the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution met in College ... more The ad hoc steering committee for the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution met in College Park, Maryland on December 20th through 22nd of 2015. This report is a summary of discussion topics and key decisions made in that highly productive meeting. We explored a number of issues sufficiently well to begin creating a road map for birthing the Society throughout 2016—culminating with the first annual conference, to be held in 2017, with an inaugural leadership team who will officially take office at that time.
An ad hoc steering committee initiated steps to form the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolut... more An ad hoc steering committee initiated steps to form the Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution (SSCE) in the summer of 2015. As part of the inaugural proceedings, a survey of SSCE members was conducted to identify a suite of "grand challenge" problems of broad scientific and social interest that can drive cutting-edge research and practice within the field of cultural evolutionary studies for future decades.
Over the course of several weeks, a total of 236 SSCE members from around the world completed an online questionnaire in which they could nominate up to ten such challenges, providing a brief description and rationale for each. Additionally, SSCE members were also asked to indicate their level of understanding and mode of training in core domains (cultural studies and evolutionary theory), how they see their current work fitting into the wider world of cultural evolutionary studies, and how they see themselves contributing to the grand challenges facing the society.
The responses to the initial grand challenges survey are summarized in this report.
Joe Brewer is a complexity researcher and evangelist for the field of culture design. He is cultu... more Joe Brewer is a complexity researcher and evangelist for the field of culture design. He is culture editor for is view of life magazine, co-founder and editor for Evonomics magazine, and research director for eRules.org He lives in Seattle and travels the world helping humanity make the transition to sustainability.
by Carol Sanford, Helene Finidori, Ashwani Vasishth, Rasigan Maharajh, Joe Brewer, Simone Cicero, Jack Harich, Michelle Holliday, Alexander Laszlo, Denis Postle, lilian ricaud, William Smith, Laurence J Victor, and christiaan weiler
Guest edited by Helene Finidori, a series of essays on the theory and practice of collective inte... more Guest edited by Helene Finidori, a series of essays on the theory and practice of collective intelligence and transformative action, from a systemic dynamic perspective.
How and where does systemic change manifest? How does it unfold? What are the leverage points, the forces and dynamics at play? What are the conditions for its empowerment and enablement? How do agency and structure come into the picture? We would like to look at the subject from various perspectives and disciplines, in research and praxis, exploring the visible and the invisible, space and time, unity and diversity, level and scale, movement and rhythm.
Available on print on demand.
We are now ready to begin the process of electing the first officers for the Cultural Evolution S... more We are now ready to begin the process of electing the first officers for the Cultural Evolution Society. The procedures outlined in this report were developed by the Elections Committee with input from an Election Advisory Group comprised of our members. This has been an intentional process of collaboration—keeping the founding membership updated throughout and inviting feedback along the way.
Creating the society in this way gives us the opportunity to apply key insights from our field to the work at hand. Throughout the early stages, it became clear that a diversity mandate1 would be needed to specify the structural features for us to achieve our mission and advance cultural evolutionary studies together. The procedures outlined here are meant to address this mandate in an equitable and transparent manner.
Our hope is that the outcome of this election will seed a “cultural genome” with the social norms and values that our members have requested of us.
Last fall, a volunteer-based Bylaws Committee grappled with the need for diversity representation... more Last fall, a volunteer-based Bylaws Committee grappled with the need for diversity representation and a broadly inclusive mission for this society. This spring an Elections Committee and Election Advisory Group came together to set the policy framework for electing our inaugural leadership, again stressing the vital importance of diversity for the success of this collective endeavor.
A message has come through loud and clear—the Cultural Evolution Society needs to be a role model for the future of scientific societies in its policies and practices. This will require active introspection and intentional design throughout its birthing process.